This can not only be disconcerting to those hailing one of these new machines, but also for local police and government agencies.
Authorities still aren’t quite sure if the Cybercab meets legal standards, despite the first fleet of 45 already navigating Austin, Texas after a September 4 kickoff.
Instead, the Cybercab uses only cameras and AI to assess surroundings and find its way around.
“NHTSA fully supports the safe development and deployment of automated vehicles,” the organization said in a statement on the matter.
The NHTSA also added that a key aspect of its investigation is how much the certification “depended on determinations that certain Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards are inapplicable to the Cybercab,” e.g., the steering, brake and acceleration controls.